Worksheet · Operating Model Health Check
Time three routine decisions
It prints on A4 with room to write.
Managers refer decisions up when they expect to be second-guessed. This sheet times three routine decisions, removes the steps that add only delay, and tells the people below that they now decide. It builds the Competent step of the check:
Decisions sit with the level that has the information, and middle managers are judged on outcomes rather than on tasks completed.
Step 1. Time three routine decisions
| Decision | Requested | Step 1: who, days | Step 2: who, days | Step 3: who, days | Decided | Total days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| e.g. Replace a broken forklift | 2 May | Site manager, 1 | Regional manager, 6 | CFO, 5 | 14 May | 12 |
Step 2. Remove the steps that added nothing
| Decision | Step removed | What that step added | Who now decides | Limit | Told on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ask of each step: did the approver know something the requester did not? If not, the step goes.
Step 3. Judge middle managers on outcomes
| Manager | What they are judged on now | Outcome they should be judged on | Changed from |
|---|---|---|---|
Done when: the three routine decisions are made at the level that holds the information, and middle managers' measures are outcomes.
Written for this check.
From the Operating Model Health Check. Your report links the sheet for each of its moves.